GTDC gets bigger role than tourism department in draft policy

Posted on February 20, 2017 by crtgoa9020

The incompetent GTDC is being rewarded for not being able to manage its own work!!! hats off to our planners in the government.

The draft Goa TourismPolicy, 2016, has relegated the tourism department to a minor role while Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has been given the upper hand in developing and promoting Goa’s tourism sector with a thrust on privatization and outsourcing of its assets.

The draft policy says GTDC should redevelop all its assets, chiefly hotels, through private sector participation under long-term licensing arrangements, to private firms on a long-term basis for development and operations.

During the last five years, GTDC has leased out some of its beach properties including those at Colva, Anjuna, Britona and Miramar.

A source said the draft policy prepared by the tourism master planner -consortium of KPMG Advisory Services Pvt Ltd, and T & L, is expected to be approved once the new government is formed.

While draft emphasizes privatization, it says the existing staff employed in such activities, will be redeployed as per needs identified.

“GTDC will progressively play the role of facilitator and aid investments in the tourism sector, besides spearheading new infrastructure and product interventions in the state,” says the draft tourism policy.

After the BJP-led government assumed power in March 2012, tourism department was stripped of its power to empower the GTDC by creating a special purpose vehicle (SPC). Until then GTDC’s role was more or less limited to operating and running its properties.

 The draft policy wants GTB to be constituted and headed by a government appointee. In its 2012 budget, the Parrikar-government had declared to constitute a full-fledged tourism board. The budget promise was not executed even though trade body Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) continuously pursued the government on this issue over four years.
The draft tourism policy stipulates that state-level marketing and promotion committee (SLMC) be dissolved and activities of marketing and promotion be undertaken by GTDC, under direction/ supervision of the GTB.
It also suggested that GTDC disengage from commercial activities such as operations of hotels, halls, renting of buses and taxis, organization of sightseeing tours and river cruises over the next few years.
Posted in Reports | Leave a comment

Process of drafting new Coastal Zone management plan

Posted on February 20, 2017 by crtgoa9020

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Posted in Environment | Leave a comment

Garbage pile – up on Colva beach

Posted on February 20, 2017 by crtgoa9020

The Garbage should be picked and dumped at GTDC office only then will they realize that it needs to be cleared

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Posted in Beaches of Goa | Leave a comment

Inspection of mini-India park reveals violations

Posted on February 18, 2017 by crtgoa9020

An inspection at the site of mini-India park project in Quelossim khazan on Friday revealed large-scale violations of land-filling and likely destruction of biodiversity in the pristine CRZ area, sources said.

After several complaints by villagers, Goa coastal zone management authority (GCZMA) held the inspection and found that after the last inspection a few months ago, the place on the banks of the Zuari, with sluice gate and water body, had been drastically altered.

“The bundh with a path and coconut trees had been strengthened into a road for transporting mud in trucks, and there were roads across the reclaimed khazan for movement of trucks,” Lopinho Xavier, a villager, said.

Villagers were unaware of the massive reclamation behind the fenced-off area as no access was allowed to them. On Friday, even committee members were obstructed, a source said.

Also present during the inspection were RDA minister and local MLA Alina Saldanha, representatives from GCZMA and Goa state biodiversity board, Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation, sarpanch Hilario Figuereido, villagers and others.

The sarpanch was grilled by locals, but claimed that he had only issued provisional approval. While the investment promotion board (IPB) had issued approval in principal subject to clearances from various other departments, the panchayat was the first to issue it, the sarpanch was told.

 He agreed to examine if it could be withdrawn but did not make a commitment.
Recently, the counsel for the project promoters had asserted in court in connection with a public interest petition that they had not carried out the land filling, but that somebody else may have done it.
The committee comprising environmental experts will submit their findings in a report to GCZMA soon.
Posted in Environment | Leave a comment

Chapora hotel discharging waste and sewage into river

Posted on February 18, 2017 by crtgoa9020

Tourism business for the hotels and garbage and polluted rivers and seas for the locals

http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=26318&boxid=16415594&uid=&dat=2/18/2017

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No cab counter at MPT cruise terminal

Posted on February 17, 2017 by crtgoa9020

Even after two years of being commissioned, the cruise terminal at Mormugao port lacks a counter for prepaid taxis and autos. This means that cruise passengers wishing to get a glimpse of Goa have no choice but to bargain over the taxi fare when tourist taxi operators reveal their ridiculously high rates for few hours of sightseeing.

Hiring a taxi from the cruise terminal for a trip to Panaji, Old Goa and any beaches, to be covered within four-five hours, means shelling out nothing less than Rs 3,000.

Seven-eight cars, along with coaches, are permitted within the cruise terminal, to be parked closer to the cruise liner, as was witnessed by Team TOI, when the liner MV Costa Classica sailed into port on Thursday.

The coaches are there to pick passengers who have pre-booked their tour through an agent while the cars belong to tourist taxi operators, and are permitted within the premises to shuttle passengers wanting to explore the place on their own.

Interestingly, the distance between the parked cars and the terminal gate is hardly 50m.

The tourist taxi operators haggle with the passengers when the latter complain about the high fares. “Life is expensive here, boss,” the taxi operator doesn’t hesitate to tell passengers.

Whether it is Panaji, Old Goa, beaches or anywhere else, the taxi fare ranges between Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000.

If it is a group of seven-eight wanting to do sightsee together, then they are charged Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,300 per head, possibly even more.

With the cruise liner scheduled to leave in the evening, most passengers are eager to return on time.

Even if bargaining brings the fare down by a few dollars, the rate arrived at is on the higher side, nevertheless.

A tourism stakeholder said that every time a cruise liner arrives, the scene they witness is the same. “Some taxi operators even insist that they be paid in foreign currency,” one stakeholder said, without wanting to be named.

Complaints are routinely received from passengers.

President, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), Savio Messias said, “It’s been a while we have been requesting authorities to set-up a prepaid taxi counter at the terminal. We have received complaints from our members, who handle cruise passengers, about overcharging by tourist taxi operators.”

 

The last meeting with chairman, MPT, I Jeyakumar was fruitful. “The MPT chairman has assured to resolve the issue,” said Messias.

 

Traffic manager, MPT, Vipin Menoth when contacted said he was not authorized to speak, but insisted that a prepaid taxi counter is operative at the terminal.

 

Vice-president, South Goa Tourist Taxi Association, Jose Afonso said the MPT taxi operators are not members of their association, as also the Dabolim airport taxi operators, who have an association of their own. “I don’t know anything about them,” said one airport taxi operator.

Posted in Federation of Associations of Tourist Taxi Owners and Drivers - FATTOD Goa | Leave a comment